NOT ONE BUT TWO BOUNCING BABY BOYS

WE ARE SO EXCITED THAT BOTH OF OUR KIDS HAVE REVEALED THAT THEY ARE GOING TO HAVE BOUNCING BABY BOYS.  BOTH IN JUNE AND WE COULDN'T BE HAPPIER.

BEN AND MICHELLE ANNOUNCED ON JANUARY 21ST. 

"IT'S A BOY"

AND BRANDON AND DAYNA DID THEIR REVEAL ON JANUARY 22ND.

VIA WEB CAM...THEY CUT THE CAKE TO REVEAL THE COLOR...BLUE FOR BOY!  YEAH!

HOW MUCH FUN CAN ONE FAMILY HAVE IN A MONTH. 

THANKSGIVING

FOR A WEEK IN REVIEW THIS TURNED OUT TO BE A LONG POST...SORRY.

THIS YEAR JEFF AND I WERE LEFT TO OUR OWN DEVICES FOR THANKSGIVING.WITH NO FAMILY COMING HOME  WE DECIDED TO TAKE THE WEEK OF THANKSGIVING AND ESCAPE TO OUR FAVORITE RETREAT, PARK CITY.  I KNOW THAT I HAVE SAID THIS BEFORE, BUT THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE PLACES TO GO, IT ALWAYS SEEMS TO BE THE R & R THAT I NEED...NICE KING SIZED BEDS, HOT TUBS, SHOPPING AND BEAUTIFUL MOUNTAINS, (I THINK MOUNTAINS ARE WHAT I MISS THE MOST LIVING IN IDAHO). I PACKED UP MY CHRISTMAS CRAFTS, SEWING MACHINE AND COMPUTER IN HOPES OF GETTING SOMETHING CONSTRUCTIVE DONE, AND I WAS SEMI-SUCCESSFUL IN AT LEAST STARTING A COUPLE OF CHRISTMAS PRESENTS. 

WE WERE SO HAPPYTO BE ABLE TO SPEND A COUPLE OF DAYS HANGING OUT WITH BEN AND MICHELLE. THEY CAME TO UTAH TO HAVE THANKSGIVING WITH THE MCPHERSON  FAMILY BUT BECAUSE THEY WEREN'T GETTING TOGETHER UNTIL WEDNESDAY, WE WERE LUCKY ENOUGH HAVE A COUPLE DAYS TO HANG OUT.  BEN AND JEFF DID A LITTLE AUTO REPAIR IN HEBER AND THEN WENT FISHING ON THE PROVO RIVER.  MICHELLE SPENT SOME TIME WITH CALLI AND THEN THEY BROUGHT NASH UP TO THE CONDO AND MADE COOKIES.  WE WENT TO DINNER AND THEN CELEBRATED MICHELLES BIRTHDAY WITH CAKE AND ICE CREAM.  WE ALWAYS FIND A WAY TO HAVE A GOOD TIME.

 

CLIX CAME UP ON THURSDAY TO EAT THANKSGIVING DINNER WITH JEFF AND I AND THEN WE DID SOMETHING THAT IS TOTALLY OUT OF OUR CHARACTER... WE WENT TO THE LATE MOVIE AND HIT THE BLACK FRIDAY SALES AT THE OUTLET MALL.  EVEN THOUGH I WAS YAWNING DURING THE MOVIE, I GOT MY SECOND WIND WHILE WE WERE SHOPPING.  THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE EVER DONE BLACK FRIDAY SHOPPING AND PROBABLY MY LAST, BUT IT WAS AN EXPERIENCE. TO BAD  I DIDN'T GO PREPARED WITH A CHRISTMAS LIST TO SHOP FOR OTHERS, SO JEFF AND I JUST SHOPPED FOR OURSELVES.  I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THAT :)

UTAH HAS BEEN BLESSED WITH A LITTLE EARLY SEASON SNOW THIS YEAR AND ALTHOUGH  IT HAD BEEN A COUPLE WEEKS SINCE THEIR LAST STORM WE WENT SKIING AT BRIGHTON AND HAD A GREAT TIME.  THE SNOW WAS GOOD AND IT WAS A REALLY GOOD RESORT FOR ME TO GET MY LEGS WARMED UP FOR THE SKI SEASON.  IT SEEMS LIKE I HAVE TO RECONNECT THE SIGNALS FROM MY BRAIN TO MY FEET BECAUSE FOR SOME REASON SKIING IS NOT LIKE RIDING A BIKE FOR ME, I CAN'T JUST GET ON MY SKIIS AND TAKE OFF, I HAVE TO DO A MENTAL READJUSTMENT, ESPECIALLY AFTER MY CONFIDENCE GETS SLAMMED WHEN I FALL ON THE FIRST RUN.   BUT ALL IS GOOD, THE DAY ENDED WITH ME FEELING GREAT ABOUT THE SKI YEAR AHEAD, LETS JUST PRAY FOR SNOW IN IDAHO BECAUSE THERE IS NONE.

 (never without his phone.  Even on the ski hill Jeff is reporting the ski conditions to some inquiring friend).

 NEEDLESS TO SAY WE HAD A GREAT TIME.  WE STOPPED TO SEE MOM ON OUR WAY HOME AND SHE SEEMS VERY HAPPY IN HER NEW HOME AND MARILYN IS TAKING VERY GOOD CARE OF HER.  I HOPE HOWEVER THAT I DIDN'T PASS ON MY  NOVEMBER COLD (THE ONE I GET EVERY NOVEMBER) TO MOM.  NOW ON TO THE NEXT EVENT...CHRISTMAS!!....EVERYONE WILL BE HOME AND TOGETHER AT SOME POINT THIS YEAR AND IT WILL BE A BLAST.

DO YOU GET IT?

IF YOU DON'T I WILL GIVE YOU A CLUE... CHECK OUT THE BABY BOOTS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BUS.  WE ARE SO EXCITED BECAUSE BEN AND MICHELLE ARE EXPECTING A BABY IN JUNE.  THAT MAKES TWO BABIES NEXT YEAR.   YEAH!  WE COULDN'T BE HAPPIER FOR OUR KIDS.

A TRIBUTE TO MY MOTHER

 Have I ever said how great my mother is. Well she is great and has been a wonderful example to me my whole life.  I only wish that I was half the mother to my kids that I feel she is to me. Through all her ups and downs she never focuses on her downs, she is always so positive  and supportive when I have my downs.  Example...I have had some issues with my ears and my Dr. has not been able to get a handle on what is wrong so he wanted me to go have and MRI on my head.  Jeff said they just want to be sure that I really do in fact have a brain.  Ha Ha.  Anyways,  the last time I went for an MRI I had a bout of clausterphobia and I was a little nervous, so nervous that this time I had to take a valium before I went.  Just knowing that I was going into a tube and had to be perfectly still was bad enough but when I got there they informed me that I would have to put this helmet thing on my head to be sure that I didn't move, that was not so cool with me.  Begin the Mini meltdown.  At this point I started telling myself that if my 91 year old mother can have shots in her eye I could and  would not complain about this... I could do this.  She is my inspiration, and my MRI was completed. 

Back to my mother.  She has been going through a major transition in her life and decided that for her safety and well being it was time to leave her home of 60+ years.  She has done so well for the last 5 years since my dad passed away, taking care of her home and the that huge yard and everything else, but this year she decided that it was finally to much.  My sister Marilyn has a basement apartment that mom could move into and within just a matter of a couple of weeks we started cleaning out her house and moving her into her new apartment.  Look at this woman, she doesnt  look like a woman with worries, especially one with her house being turned upside down.  No, this is a woman who is so content with her decision to move on in a new direction.                    

I on the other hand was an emotional wreck.  I had such a hard time knowing that these last couple weeks that we spent working and cleaning out the house would be the last days that I would spend in my childhood home with my mother and my silblings.  Oh the memories...thank goodness that we get to take them with us, that they don't go away even if the house does.

THE BEST NEWS EVER!

I'M GOING TO BE A GRANDMA AGAIN.  HAILEY ANNOUNCED IT TO US VIA SKYPE SUNDAY NIGHT WITH HER CUTE SHIRT.  WE ARE SO EXCITED FOR GRANDBABY #2 WHO IS DUE JUNE 11, 2013.  AND DAYNA THINKS NINE MONTHS IS A LONG TIME FOR HER?  ITS GOING TO BE EVEN LONGER FOR THIS GRANDMA, BUT IT'S OK  THIS EVENT WILL BE WELL WORTH THE WAIT.

MIDDLE AGE

I HAVE BEEN LISTENING TO A BOOK CALLED "THE BEGGAR KING AND THE SECRET OF HAPPINESS", IT IS A CUTE BOOK WITH A FEW PEARLS OF WISDOM THAT I HAVE ENJOYED. I LISTEN TO THE BOOK EVERYDAY WHILE I AM DRIVING AND THIS MORNING I HAD TO LAUGH WHEN I HEARD THIS QUOTE...ESPECIALLY SINCE I AM IN THE PROCESS OF WRITING ABOUT MY MOTHER. ( IN A BLOG POST YET TO COME)
"MIDDLE AGE IS WHEN YOU STOP WORRYING ABOUT BEING LIKE YOUR PARENTS AND DISCOVER YOU'VE ACTUALLY BECOME THEM."   

I HOPE ONE DAY  THAT MY CHILDREN WON'T BE ASHAMED TO RESEMBLE THEIR DAD AND I.  I CAN HONESTLY SAY THAT IF I RESEMBLE IN ANY WAY SHAPE OR FORM MY MOTHER OR FATHER THAT I'M NOT SORRY, I AM PROUD OF THAT.  AS A CHILD/TEEN/ADOLESCENT  I MAY HAVE THOUGHT OF MY PARENTS AS BEING PRUDES, TIGHTWADS OR WHATEVER A CHILD MAY THINK OF THEIR PARENTS, BUT TODAY AS I LOOK AT MY MOTHER I KNOW NOW THAT  THE THINGS THAT SHE AND DAD DID WAY BACK THEN WERE FOR A VERY GOOD REASON,  TO MAKE SURE THAT I BECAME A RESPECTABLE, HARDWORKING AND FINACIALLY RESPONSIBLE ADULT. 

DO I LIKE THE FACT THAT I AM MIDDLE AGE?  NO,

AM I FINE WITH BECOMING MY PARENTS?  YES.

YOU GO MOM.  AT 91 YOU ARE DOING GREAT!
CLICK HERE IF YOU WANT TO SEE THE VIDEO OF MOM ON HER EXERCYCLE

OCTOBER SNOW

THERE HAS BEEN SOME SPECULATION AS TO WHETHER OR NOT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE AN EARLY WINTER OR WETTER THAN USUAL WINTER.  WHO'S RIGHT THE FARMERS ALAMAC OR THOSE WHO SAY THE ANIMALS ARE ALREADY GETTING THEIR WINTER COATS?  I DON'T KNOW BUT THIS MORNINGS SNOW MAY SHED A LITTLE LIGHT ON WHAT'S TO COME.  MAYBE WE WILL BE SKIING AT PARK CITY THIS YEAR AT THANKSGIVING.

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR

It wasn't to long ago I recall saying to my sister-in-law how I would love a day to be lazy, maybe not even get out of bed, a day that I could read, watch tv or even do nothing at all.  Well my wish came true on Monday, I got to spend the whole day in bed, however it was all because I had the nasty flu  as well.  I tried to read, but I couldn't focus, I watched a little TV, but found myself sleeping most of the time.  Yes, I needed the rest, but this was not the R and R that I had in mind.
I recently started a book called "The Beggar King and the secret of Happiness" it is ironic how the first chapter talks about how curses can become blessings and how blessings can become curses.  It is funny how I thought a day lazying around would be a blessing, but it turned into a curse because it came with the flu.  I guess I should have got my flu shot last week when I was thinking about it.

WEDDING PICS ARE HERE.

WELL THE WEDDING PICTURES ARE FINALLY HERE AND YES, I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO HAVE PAID A HIGH PRICED PHOTOGRAPHER FOR THE WEDDING, BUT THAT WAS NOT MY CHOICE.  THE GAL THAT TOOK THE PICTURES DID A GOOD JOB, BUT AS I HAVE LOOKED AT THE PICTURES I FOUND THAT THERE WERE NO FAMILY PICTURES TAKEN OF JUST OUR FAMILY.  SO MUCH FOR HOPING FOR  A FAMILY PICTURE AT THE WEDDING.  WE DIDN'T EVEN GET A PICTURE OF JUST JEFFAND I,  SORRY BEN AND MICHELLE THERE ISN'T ANY OF YOU TOGETHER EITHER,  BUT I DO KNOW THAT YOU WERE THERE BECAUSE OF ALL THE HARD WORK THAT YOU PUT IN AND IT SHOWS IN THE PICTURES OF ALL THE CUTE SPACES THAT MICHELLE CREATED.  AND THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWER ARRANGEMENTS.  I WOULD HAVE LIKED A FEW MORE CLOSE-UPS OF JESSICA AND TJ, BUT I AM JUST GOING TO SAY THAT I AM GLAD THAT WE HAVE PICTURES.

ONE THING THAT REALLY WENT RIGHT

WELL THE WEDDING IS OVER AND BECAUSE I WAS SO CONSUMED WITH THE EVENTS OF THE WEEKEND I DIDN'T EVEN TAKE ONE PICTURE.   I DO HAVE SOME PICTURES OF THE SUNFLOWER CENTERPIECES THAT MICHELLE AND  DAYNA CREATED WITH THE FLOWERS THAT THEY PICKED OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD THE MORNING OF THE WEDDING.  (just begging to be picked)

I JUST LOVE HOW THE FLOWERS TURNED OUT AND THANKS TO DAYNA AND MICHELLE THEY WOULDN'T HAVE LOOKED SO GREAT.  IF  WE HAD KNOWN WHEN WE ORDERED FLOWERS FROM THE FLORIST  THAT SUNFLOWERS WOULD BE IN FULL BLOOM ALL AROUND US AND, JUST OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD IN HUGE PATCHES, I COULD HAVE SAVED SOME MONEY.  I THINK THAT THE FRESH SUNFLOWERS WERE SO MUCH PRETTIER THAN THE ONES THAT WE WE SPENT $$'s ON.

 

 

BESIDES THE BRIDE THERE WAS ONE MORE SPECIAL GIRL AT THE WEDDING.

THE FLOWER GIRL....